October 2022

The fall semester continues to be filled with meetings and activities that highlight the scope of this great institution of higher education and the accomplishments of people associated with it.

Peter Rothholz ’50 and his wife Barbara, a member of the class of ’55, have enjoyed a long and special relationship with Queens College. He’s had a long career as a public relations executive who taught in our BALA minor and served on the Queens College Foundation. Barbara is an artist and teacher. They visited and toured the campus on Thursday, September 15. This was a follow-up to a delightful dinner we had together in Los Angeles earlier this year. We greatly appreciate their continued involvement with their alma mater. 

From left, back: Vice President for Communications and Marketing and Senior Advisor to the President Jay Hershenson, Vice President of Institutional Advancement Laurie Dorf, President Frank H. Wu, Associate Director of Leadership Giving Christina Rosa-Ragona

Front, Barbara and Peter Rothholz

The next day, I had the pleasure of visiting Mexican Consul General Jorge Islas López and his daughter, Mónica Islas. (Sharing a photo op with me in the picture below are, from the left, Consul General Jorge Islas López, QC Arts Interim Associate Dean Julia Del Palacio, and Monica Islas.) Hispanic Heritage Month started on September 15 and continues through October 15. This Thursday—October 6—from 6 to 7:30 pm in the Student Union Underground, the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA), the Economics and Business Club, the Hispanic Club, the Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS) Program, and the Office of Student Development & Leadership will sponsor a Hispanic Professionals Forum. The panel features Latinx QC alumni working in business, academia, and government. Register here.

I am grateful to Michael Nussbaum ’69, president of the Queens Jewish Community Council (QJCC) for the opportunity to speak at a community meeting on September 15 at the Young Israel Synagogue of Jamaica Estates. Along with campus representatives of the QC Hillel chapter, we participated in an important program aimed at combatting antisemitism and bigotry wherever it arises in Queens County. Many elected officials and NYPD representatives were present. We will continue to work with QJCC on activities in support of a welcoming and safe environment for all faiths in our borough.

We are maintaining COVID safety protocols for campus access. By comparison to coronavirus, influenza is less dangerous, but it still wreaks its share of havoc, particularly among older individuals and those who are immunocompromised. I encourage everyone to get a flu shot, as I did, together with Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Patricia Price and Student Association President Jamal Mark. Free flu shots will be given on campus for two more dates—Tuesday, October 18, and Monday, November 7. Terri Calhoun RN administers the flu shot. If you can’t schedule an appointment, contact your health insurance provider.

From left: Patricia Price, Jamal Mark, Terri Calhoun, and I bump elbows.

Understatements: Lost and Found in Asian America—the first exhibition presented with the support of the Thomas Chen Family/Crystal Windows Endowment—is now available for viewing at the Godwin-Ternbach Museum! Artists from the show; its renowned curator, Herb Tam; and of course, Steve Chen, son of Thomas Chen and president of Crystal Windows and Doors, all attended and spoke at the opening reception. QC student Dolma Sherpa from Nepal shared her experiences. The Chen family provided a $1.1 donation to the new QC School of Arts, including support for this exhibition. Supporters and partners are cited in this important article. Queens College is the perfect place to present Understatements, with its explorations of Asian American identity, and I hope everyone will take the time to see it. The Godwin-Ternbach Museum is the only on-campus museum within the CUNY system. 

On Thursday, September 29, Tamera Schneider, associate vice chancellor and university vice provost of research, made the trip from Manhattan for coffee and a tour. We discussed building on the great research capacity of QC and future opportunities.

That night, Dean of Social Sciences and the founding Dean of the School of Business Kate Pechenkina was recognized among the distinguished honorees at a Schneps Media Power Women in Queens event at Terrace in the Park. 

From left: Schneps Media Publisher Victoria Schneps, Vice President for Communications and Marketing and Senior Advisor to the President Jay Hershenson, and—accepting the award on Kate Pechenkina’s behalf—Interim Associate Business School Dean Schiro Withanachchi and BALA Assistant Director Lisa D'Angelo. 

Congratulations to Dean Anthony Tamburri of the John D. Calandra Institute for Italian American Studies on being named as an honoree at the October 26 Proclamation Ceremony for Italian Heritage and Culture Month to be held by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards.

As reported in last week in QView, I enjoyed meeting with the winners of the Black, Race and Ethic Studies Initiative (BRESI) competition sponsored by CUNY for projects related to diversity, equity and inclusion, coordinated by Chief Diversity Officer and Dean of Diversity Jerima DeWese. That luncheon was immediately followed by a meeting with a delegation of distinguished rectors from Haitian colleges and universities, organized by Political Science Department Chair Francois Pierre-Louis. I heartily thank all involved in the presentations. 

Women’s sports thrive at QC in no small part because of Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. On Friday, September 30, the college celebrated the 50th anniversary of this landmark legislation with a ceremony in FitzGerald Gymnasium. To learn more about Title IX at QC, listen to my remarks.

From left: Director of Athletics and Recreation Robert Twible, Olympic Silver Medalist Gail Marquis '73, former Women's Basketball Head Coach Lucille Kyvallos, Women's Basketball Head Coach Elizabeth Naumovski, University of Hartford Vice President of Athletics Sharon Beverly '79, East Coast Conference Commissioner Robert Dranoff 

There was sad news over the weekend: Music Professor Emeritus Alexander Kouguell passed away peacefully on Sunday morning at the remarkable age of 102. (I visited him in March for his birthday.) Alex began serving Queens College in 1947, before the Aaron Copland School of Music was founded, and stopped teaching as an adjunct in 2015. An outstanding musician and colleague, he was noted for his generosity. He and his wife Florence made major donations to ACSM, where a room has been named in their honor; he also gave three celli, eight cello bows, and the contents of his library to the School of Music. He will be greatly missed. Fortunately, his work outlives him, as on these recordings https://youtu.be/9tn3Vcmuk0Y and https://youtu.be/rcRjgjsOUL4 showcasing his artistry.

Yesterday—Monday, October 3—I had the pleasure of welcoming our strong supporter, Congresswoman Grace Meng to campus, so she could present the college with a facsimile check for the college’s Wastewater Epidemiology Training Laboratory (WETLAB). The congresswoman obtained $1,850,000 in federal funding to upgrade the facilities where John Dennehy (Biology) and his team can analyze wastewater for pathogens and train students in this critical work.

From left: Professor John Dennehy, Congresswoman Meng, myself, and Dean of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Daniel Weinstein.

October is, among other recognitions, Cybersecurity Month. ITS has teamed up with Microsoft to offer cybersecurity awareness training. Faculty and staff can learn how to identify email scams, keep accounts secure, and otherwise protect themselves electronically on Tuesday, October 11, at 11 am. RSVP here. A similar session for students will be held on Wednesday, October 19, at 1 pm. To register, click here.

A week from Wednesday, on October 12, QC will celebrate its 85th anniversary of the day of classes in 1937. People across campus have planned the festivities, which will include a new exhibit developed by Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library leadership on the history of the college, musical performances by faculty and students of Aaron Copland School of Music, special videos to mark the occasion, and recognitions by prominent dignitaries and officials. I will present the President’s Medal to two notable alumni. A reception in the atrium of the Music Building with refreshments will follow the early evening program in LeFrak Hall. Attendance is free and you’ll have an opportunity to pick up an 85th anniversary water bottle! Members of the college community are invited; watch your email for your invitation so you can reserve your place. I very much look forward to seeing you there!

Speaking of events, I can’t resist putting in a plug for a talk I will give to the Grolier Club at a meeting on campus on Monday, October 17. I will speak about a topic near to my heart: ephemera documenting the Asian American experience. Two days later, MacArthur Foundation Fellow Yitang Zhang, an expert on number theory, will be speaking on campus during free hour.

I’ll close by asking everyone to reserve the evening of Thursday, October 20, for the annual QC Academic Excellence Award Ceremony in Colden Auditorium, followed by a reception in the Music Building Atrium. We will continue the great tradition of celebrating the academic achievements of our students during this year, the 85th anniversary of Queens College. 

Stay safe and well.